European leaders have joined Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in insisting that any talks on ending the war in Ukraine should start with freezing the current front line, and warned that Russia is not serious about peace.

In a statement signed by 11 leaders including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, they said they strongly support US President Donald Trump's position that the fighting should stop immediately, and that the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations.

But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed the idea of halting the conflict at the current contact line, stating that Moscow was only interested in long-term, sustainable peace.

The European statement referred to Russia's stalling tactics, indicating how intractable Moscow's position remained. Trump, who has often adopted a conciliatory tone towards Russia, is planning direct talks with Putin in Budapest. Still, the date for a preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Lavrov seems to be slipping.

Several sources have reported that Trump pushed Zelensky to concede large territorial areas in eastern Ukraine during recent discussions. While Zelensky has consistently ruled out any withdrawal, emphasizing that it would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attacks, Russia controls significant territories in Luhansk and parts of Donetsk, complicating any potential agreements.

Despite Trump's recent embrace of a ceasefire, Moscow continues to reject proposals for a front line freeze, with calls for addressing the underlying issues of the conflict at the forefront of their demands. The possibility of an imminent Trump-Putin meeting remains uncertain, reflecting the ongoing tensions and complexities of the geopolitical landscape in Eastern Europe.